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Observing the prevailing power of prejudice, and the easiness of mankind to be imposed upon, especially on the side of uncharitableness, we have the less wondered at the treatment which we, as a people, have suffered. The gullible have been excited to look upon us as heretics, while, blessed be God, our aim and bent have been the very power and work of religion upon our souls, that we might be God's workmanship, through Christ Jesus, His blessed Son: taking this to be the very life and soul of true religion, the effect and fruit of the Divine nature, which makes us Christians indeed here and fits us for glory hereafter. And because we have chosen retirement, moderation, self-denial - the spirit and substance of religion - and therefore sequestered ourselves from more outward communions, we have been disingenuously represented to the world; on which account I have published this little treatise, for the sake of others as well as in our own vindication, but theirs especially that are under prejudices.

It will be the business of this little KEY to explain the obscurity, and thereby open a way into so clear and plain an understanding of our true principles that we hope, with God's blessing all impartial inquirers will be satisfied of our holy and Christian profession. This we also earnestly desire for their good, that since we have been called of God to be a people to His praise, through His Grace, none may be offended at the truth we testify of, but, seeing the excellency of it, walk in it, and obtain the true end of religion, the salvation of the soul.

Text in brackets has been inserted by the Site Editor

Section I

OF THE LIGHT WITHIN, WHAT IT IS, AND THE VIRTUE AND BENEFIT OF IT TO MAN

Perversion: The Quakers hold that the natural light in the conscience of every man is sufficient to save all that follows it, and so they overthrow salvation by Christ. . . A mighty error indeed, if it were true.

God's Spirit makes people free from sin, and brings all that regard the convictions and motions of it into a sense and sorrow for sin, and so into a state of reformation, without which all profession of religion is mere formality. Man's sin and destruction are of himself, but his help is in God alone, through Jesus Christ, our blessed Sacrifice and Sanctifier.

Section II

ON INFALLIBILITY AND PERFECTION

Perversion 5: The Quakers must be infallible and perfect, if they have such an infallible Light in them.

Principle: This is also a great abuse of their true meaning. They say, the Principle is pure, perfect, unerrable in itself, else it would be very unfit to lead men out of error and impurity. But they never did assert themselves perfect, merely because the Light was within them. But that all who are led by the Spirit of God, and live according to its manifestations, are so far perfect, and so far infallible in the right way as they are led by it and not farther. For it is not opinion, or speculation, or notions of what is true, or assent to propositions, though ever so soundly worded that makes a man a true believer. It is a conformity of mind and practice to the dictates of this Divine principle of Light and Life in the soul which denotes a person a child of God. For the children of God are led by the Spirit of God, but if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. Let it be noted that though this Spirit is in man, yet it is not of man, but of God, through Jesus Christ.

Yet as the word of God may in some sense signify the command of God, referring to the thing or matter commanded as the mind of God, it may be called the Word of the Lord, or Word of God; as on particular occasions, the prophets had the Word of the Lord to persons and places, that is to say, the mind or will of God, or that which was commanded them of the Lord to declare or do. So Christ uses it when He tells the Pharisees that they had made the word or command of God of none effect by their traditions. But because people are apt to think if they have the Scriptures they have all—for that they account them the word of God, and so look no farther, that is, to no other Word from where these good words came—therefore this people have been constrained, and, they believe, by God's good Spirit again to point them to the great Word, Christ Jesus, in Whom is life, and that life is the Light of men: that they might feel something nearer to them than the Scriptures—the Word in the heart, from where all the Holy Scriptures came, which is Christ within them, the hope of their glory. And to be sure, He is the only right expounder, as well as the author, of the Holy Scripture, without whose Light, Spirit, or grace, they cannot be savingly read by those who read them.

Perversion 7:They deny them to be any means by which to resist temptation.

Principle: This is a very uncharitable aspersion. True it is that they deny Scriptures of themselves are sufficient to resist temptations, for then all that have them and read them would be sure to be preserved by them against temptations. But that they should deny them to be any means or instrument in God's hand, is either great ignorance or injustice in their adversaries. God has made use of the Scriptures, and daily does and will make use of them, for instruction, reproof, comfort, and edification, through the Spirit, to those who read them as they ought to do. [The early Quakers denied that restraining sin is enough in the sight of God, but rather that everyone should wait upon him in silence to show them the secret sins of their hearts, feel a godly sorrow for their condition, and then experience the power of God to remove the inclination of sin from their hearts. Until such removal by the power of God, sin remains a constant pull in a person's life].

Section IV

OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD AND ITS OFFICE, WITH RESPECT TO MAN,

AND OF THE MINISTRY

Perversion 8:The Quakers assert the Spirit of God to be the immediate Teacher, and there is no other means now to be useful, as ministry, ordinances, etc.

[This accusation comes from the early Quakers' quoting John's warning against being deceived by men:

Principle: They never spoke such language, and their daily practice confutes the reflection. They never denied the use of means, such means as are used in the life and power of God, and not from man's will and innovation. They cannot own that to be a Gospel ministry that is without a Gospel spirit, or that such can be sent of God who are not taught of God, or that they are fit to teach others what regeneration and the way to heaven are who have never been born again themselves, or that such can bring souls to God who are themselves strangers to the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost.

This unexperienced and lifeless ministry is the only ministry that the people called Quakers cannot own and receive, and therefore cannot maintain. For the ministry and the ministers that are according to Scriptures, they both own, respect and delight in, and are ready to assist and support in their service to God.

Principle: Nothing less. They believe in the holy three, or trinity of Father, Word, and Spirit, according to Scripture. And that these things are truly and properly one [spirit]; of one nature as well as will. But they are tender of quitting Scripture terms and phrases for schoolmen's, such as distinct and separate persons or subsistences are, from which people are apt to entertain gross ideas and notions of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. They judge that a curious inquiry into those high and divine revelations, or into speculative subjects, though never so great truths in themselves, tends little to godliness and less to peace, which should be the chief aim of true Christians. Therefore, they cannot gratify that curiosity in themselves or others. Speculative truths are, in their judgment, to be sparingly and tenderly declared, and never to be made the measure and condition of Christian communion. Men are too apt to let their heads outrun their hearts, and their notions exceed their obedience, and their passions support their conceits, instead of a daily cross, a constant watch, and a holy practice.

[Penn denied that the word Trinity appeared anywhere in the Bible. Penn denied that there were three distinct persons, or three distinct substances, but rather preached that the Father, Word, and Spirit being one spirit, as the scripture states. The Trinity is clearly an invention of the early Roman sect, (see footnote to 1 John 5:7), rather trivial in consequence, by man trying to understand and define the relationship of the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, which can only be understood by revelation from Jesus Christ.

Principle: A most untrue and unreasonable censure, for their great and characteristic principle being this, that Christ, as the Divine Word, lights the souls of all men that come into the world, with a spiritual and saving Light, which nothing but the Creator of souls can do. It sufficiently shows that they believe Him to be God, for they truly and expressly own Him to be so, according to Scripture: "In Him was Life, and that Life was the Light of men; and He is God over all, blessed forever."

Principle: we never taught, said, or held so gross a thing, if by human nature it is understood to refer to the manhood of Christ Jesus. For as we believe Him to be God over all, blessed forever, so we do truly believe Him to be truly and properly man, like us in all things, and once subject to all things for our sake, sin only excepted.

So the Protestants would say: the Quakers don't believen in the human nature of Christ. Yet the Quakers made it a point to properly credit the wonderful accomplishments of Jesus Christ in the flesh, which include:

By his sufferings, one offering, sacrifice and death, put an end to all the legal offerings, types, shadows, and figures, outward ordinances [tithes], rites and ceremonies, and many washings [baptisms], under the Law of Moses and Levitical Priesthood, he continues a Priest forever, after the order of Melchizedeck, King of Righteousness and King of peace, our High Priest over the house and family of God; he having consecrated, prepared and opened the new and living way of the new covenant, through the veil or his flesh, for our access into the most holy sanctuary. (From G. Whitehead's Letter)

Not that God looks on people to be in Christ, who are not in Christ, that is, who are not in the faith, obedience, and self-denial of Christ, nor sanctified, nor led by His Spirit, but rebel, and instead of dying to sin through true repentance, indulge themselves daily in it; for those who are in Christ become new creatures, old things are passed away, and all things become new. Therefore we say that whatever Christ then did, both living and dying, was of great benefit to the salvation of all who have believed and now do, and who hereafter shall believe in Him. But the way to come to that faith is to receive and obey the manifestation of His Divine Light and grace in their conscience, which leads men to believe and value, and not disown or undervalue Christ as the common sacrifice and Mediator. For we do affirm that to follow this holy Light, and to turn to it, is the only way to have true living faith in Christ as He appeared in the flesh and to receive Him as sacrifice and Mediator.

For it is not another than that eternal word, light, power, wisdom, and righteousness, which took flesh and appeared in that holy body, by whom they have received, or can receive any true spiritual benefit; whose doctrine pierced, whose life preached, whose miracles astonished, whose blood atoned, and whose death, resurrection and ascension, confirmed that blessed manifestation to be no less than the word of God manifested in the flesh for the salvation of the world, and if we now receive Him into our hearts, as the true Light, that leads in the way of life eternal.

Section IX

OF GOOD WORKS

Perversion 13:Thus it is the Quakers set up works and meriting by works, whereby justification by faith in Christ is laid aside

Nor yet do we say that our very best works, proceeding from the true faith itself, can merit; no, nor even faith joined with works, because eternal life is the gift of God. All that man is capable of believing or performing can never be said to merit everlasting blessedness, because there can be no proportion between the best works in the life of man and eternal felicity. Therefore, all that man can do, even with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, can never be said strictly to merit as a debt due to the creature. But on the other hand, that right faith and good works which arise out of it or will follow it, may and do obtain the blessed immortality which it pleases God to give and to privilege the sons of men with who perform the necessary condition, is a Gospel and necessary truth. And this the Quakers ground upon, and therefore boldly affirm to the world.

So that the people called Quakers do not hold that their good works justify them; for though none are justified that are not in some measure sanctified, yet all that man does is duty, and therefore cannot blot out old scores, for that is more grace and favor, upon repentance, through Christ the Sacrifice and Mediator. So that men are not justified because they are sanctified, but for His sake that sanctifies them, and works all their good works in them and for them, and presents them blameless, that is Christ Jesus, who is made unto them, as He was to the saints of old, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption; so that he who glories, might only glory in the Lord.

Section X

OF WATER BAPTISM AND THE SUPPER

Perversion 14: The Quakers deny the two great sacraments or ordinances of the Gospel, Baptism and the Supper.

It were to overthrow the whole Gospel dispensation, and to make the coming of Christ of no effect, to render signs and figures of the nature of the Gospel, which is inward, spiritual and eternal. If it be said, but they were used after the coming of Christ, and His ascension too: they answer, so were many Jewish ceremonies. It is sufficient to them that water baptism was John's, and not Christ's; that Jesus never used it; that it was no part of Paul's commission, which if it were evangelical and of duration, it certainly would have been; that there is but one baptism, as well as one faith, and one Lord; and that baptism ought to be of the same nature with the kingdom of which it is an ordinance, and that is spiritual The same holds also as to the supper, both alluding to old Jewish practices, and used as a signification of a near and accomplishing work, namely, the substance they represented.

If any say, but Christ commanded that one of them should continue in remembrance of Him, which the apostle to the Church of Corinth explains thus: that thereby they do show forth the Lord's death till He comes.* We allege that He said so and told His disciples also He would come to them again; that some should not taste death till they saw Him coming in the kingdom: and that He Who dwelled with them, should be in them; and that He would drink no more of this fruit till He should drink it anew with them in the kingdom of God, which is within. He was the heavenly bread that they had not yet known, nor His flesh and blood as they were to know them. So that though Christ came to end all signs, yet till He was known as the Great Bread of life from heaven, signs had their service to show forth in remembrance of Christ. Paul says expressly of the Jewish observations, that they were shadows of the good things to come, but the substance was of Christ.

[But he said as often as you eat bread and as often as you drink wine, (as every time you eat a meal), to do this in remembrance of my death — not in a heathish ritual that by magic supposedly transforms bread and wine to flesh and blood, serves as a sacrifice for sins, (which negates Christ's death), or is the means of communion with Christ, which negates coming to him, hearing him, and obeying him in the privacy of your closet (your inner room, your heart).]

Hence it is that the Quakers cannot be said to deny them, but they, truly feeling in themselves the very thing which the outward water, bread and wine signify, leave them off, as fulfilled in Christ, who is in them the hope of their glory, and henceforth they have but one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one bread, and one cup of blessing, and that is of the kingdom of God, which is within.

Section XI

OF THE RESURRECTION, AND ETERNAL RECOMPENSE

Perversion 15:They acknowledge no resurrection of the dead, nor rewards to come.

Principle: In this also we are greatly abused. We deny not, but believe the resurrection according to Scripture, not only from sin, but also from death and the grave, but are conscientiously cautious in expressing the manner of the resurrection intended, because it is left a secret by the Holy Ghost in the Scripture, which makes the Quakers contented with that body which God shall please to give them hereafter, being assured that their corruptible shall put on incorruption, and their mortal shall put on immortality, but in such a manner as pleases God. In the meantime, they esteem it their duty, as well as wisdom, to acquiesce in His holy will. It is enough they believe a resurrection and that with a glorious and incorruptible body, for that was the ancient hope. Now, as to eternal rewards, they not only believe in them, but as the Apostle says of old, have the most reason to do so. It is their faith, their hope, their interest, and what they wait and have suffered for, and press, as an encouragement to faithfulness, upon one another.

Perversion 16: The Quakers deny all civil honor and respect, but what is relative or equal between men.

Principle: We honor all men in the Lord, but not in the spirit and fashion of the world which passes away. And though we do not pull off our hats or give flattering titles, or use compliments, because we believe there is no true honor in using them, yet we treat all men with seriousness and gentleness, though it be with plainness, and our superiors with a modest distance, and are ready to do them any reasonable benefit or service, in which we think real honor consists. And as for expressing our respect to our superiors, we think it best done by obeying all just laws, according to the saying of the centurion unto Christ, and which Christ so much approved: reasonable commands and reasonable obedience. This is honoring government and governors, and not empty titles and servile gestures.

Section XIII

OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT

Perversion 17: The Quakers are enemies of all governmenl; first, in that everyone acts according to his own conceit; secondly, because they will not support civil government and so are useless if not dangerous to it; thirdly, because they refuse to give evidence upon oath.

Principle: This is a calumny, their lives and conversations sufficiently show. They believe magistracy to be an ordinance of God, and that he that rules well deserves to be valued and esteemed; and further, they are a people that love good order and good government among themselves.